Mirrors Don't Lie
by Aria6
Summary: A little romance fic! Axel/Roxas of course. Axel thinks he's straight but will he be when a certain blonde enters his life... read and review please!
1. Chapter 1

"I hate this club." Roxas muttered to himself as he gazed over the chic nightclub. It was the most pretentious thing he'd ever seen, all beautiful fabric and lovely light fixtures. It wasn't his style. Roxas preferred bars where you could get a beer and be left to drink in peace as you listened to the classic rock and new country. This wasn't that kind of place. This was a place to be seen and see others, hook up and break up. "The sooner it burns down the better." He grumbled to himself but forced a smile as his brother elbowed him in the ribs.

"Stop being a sourpuss Roxas!" Sora admonished him and Roxas stifled a sigh. Sora loved this club because his lover was a bartender here and always got them the best drinks. Roxas was more fond of Riku than he was of the club, but only a bit. "Remember what the doctor said about the power of positive thinking."

"Joy." Roxas said woodenly and Sora shook his head sadly before heading off to the bar. Roxas felt a guilty relief at that. He loved Sora but dealing with his constant fads was wearing. Right now he was in love with the advice of Dr. RM Smith. She'd authored several books and one of them had ended up on Oprah. Sora followed Oprah's book club religiously. Maybe he did have a point though, Roxas admitted to himself as he took a sip of his drink. The martinis here were a lot better than they would have been at his usual bar and there were plenty of hot guys. Maybe it was time to hook up. This place was a haven for the gay nightlife so he probably could.

Just as he was thinking that, a stranger entered the bar. Roxas blinked, eyes immediately caught by bright red hair. Could that possibly be natural? Roxas eyed the man thoughtfully as he gave his leather jacket to the coat check girl. He was tall and lanky, not really Roxas' type but that hair was just so striking. Then the man glanced around the room and Roxas' eyes widened as he saw the tattoos on his cheeks. He'd never seen anything like them before. Finishing his drink he cautiously followed as the man made his way to the bar and smiled to himself as he heard the redhead order a beer. A man after his own heart. Then the redhead took a swig of his beer as Roxas decided to make his approach.

"Hi there." Roxas said with a smile, leaning against the bar beside him. The redhead gave him an amused look but Roxas persevered. "I've never seen you here before. What's your name?"

"Axel." For a moment Roxas was afraid the redhead wouldn't say anything else. That was how he acted when he was approached by someone he wasn't interested in at all. But Axel took another drink from his beer, examining him with bright green eyes. "I don't come here very often. What's yours?"

"Um? Oh, I'm Roxas." The blonde said, giving himself a mental shake. Something about this man was so mesmerizing… "I only come here because my brother insists." Axel smiled and Roxas was captivated by how happy that expression made him look. It reminded him of Sora, actually. The brunette had always had the knack of feeling very intensely about everything.

"I'm the designated driver for my roommate and his posse." Axel glanced around warily. "I hope they don't notice me until it's time to leave. That's why I came late."

"Oh? What's the problem with them? Let me get you another beer." Roxas was about to order two more beers when Axel shook his head.

"Just a coke for me. Or a virgin daiquiri or something." Roxas blinked before remembering the designated driver part. Axel seemed to be taking it seriously and he rather admired that. Roxas ordered him a virgin pina colada, grinning at Axel's pained expression as it arrived with fruit hooked over the brim and several paper umbrellas. "Don't worry, there's no one here who'll mock your manhood."

"I've always thought that stereotype was silly anyway." Axel commented before drinking his girly drink. "Well, my roommate. He's a great guy in a lot of ways but I have one beef with him and his buddies. They're gay."

"What?" Roxas felt his heart plummet to his boots as Axel gave him an impish grin. Had he heard that right? But then the redhead cheerfully explained.

"I have no problem with gay people! If I did I wouldn't be his roommate. But his buddies are… recruiter gays." Axel rolled his eyes expressively as Roxas choked. "How will you know if you like it or not if you never try it? You don't know what you're missing! Just this once Axel." He shook his head and Roxas was fairly sure he knew who Axel was talking about. "If that mullet haired retard propositions me one more time I'm going to knock his teeth out."

"He's got a brown belt." Roxas cautioned and Axel gave him a grin. This time it had a dark, feral edge.

"I have a double black belt." Then Axel sighed, taking a drink from his pina colada. "I wouldn't though. Zexion likes him, I have no idea why. You're not like that are you?"

"Me?" Roxas said blankly then winced to himself as Axel eyed him sceptically. "Oh no, I'm not like that at all! Really." He had been attracted to the redhead though. He still was. Roxas felt a deep disappointment as he realized it was not to be. Axel made a small hmm sound before setting his glass down on the bar with a tink.

"I know you're attracted to me." Roxas felt his ire rise and glowered at Axel.

"You have a high opinion of yourself." He said oppressively but Axel just laughed.

"The mirror behind the bar." Axel gestured towards it as Roxas watched uncomprehendingly. "I totally saw you checking me out as I walked up to the bar." Roxas felt his cheeks heat as he realized Axel really HAD spotted him. It had probably been pretty blatant too, the mirror hadn't occurred to him. "That's fine though. Just don't try to drag me over to the wild side, okay? If I'm craving a six pack I'll let you know." Roxas had to snort at that, feeling his ill temper dissipating. Maybe he wasn't going to hook up but he could still have a good time.

"Hmph! Well if you're not gay you can buy me the next drink." Roxas said firmly and Axel smiled, ordering a beer for him and another virgin drink for himself. They started chatting about their lives and Roxas was surprised to find that Axel worked in the same mall that he did on weekends. Although the redhead's spot there was quite a bit different.

"Dad thinks the experience of running a store will do me good." Axel said reflectively and Roxas blinked, wondering how much money his family had. But then, this nightclub was expensive. If it hadn't been for Riku he and Sora probably wouldn't have gotten in the door. "I've definitely learned a lot about how our operations really work. It'll probably be valuable when I take a higher place in the company."

"Your family owns the company?" Roxas said cautiously and felt relieved when Axel shook his head.

"Not exactly, but we are the biggest single shareholder. We could be outvoted if the others pulled together but that's not likely to happen." Roxas scratched his head at that. The world of finance was a closed book to him. "What do you do at the mall?" Roxas hesitated a moment, feeling ashamed of his job as a barista at the Java Hut. But Axel was delighted when he told him. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere! You're that amazing guy who knows what everyone wants and can serve ten people faster than spit. Would you come work for me? I'm sure your talents could translate to something else!"

"That depends on what schedule you could get me!" Roxas said laughingly. "I go to school you know." That was why the Java Hut was perfect for him. Axel looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We'd have to discuss it. What courses are you taking?" The conversation went on and on and Roxas was unaware of the time passing. He found that he and Axel liked the same books and had much the same views on all kinds of subjects. There were spots they differed of course and they were in a lively debate about the fine points of a law congress was considering passing when someone poked him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey Sora, what is it?" Roxas rubbed his shoulder and frowned, looking up at his brother. He was grinning and Riku was beside him, smiling faintly.

"It's time to go you silly!" Roxas blinked and checked his watch, realizing how late it was. Axel frowned and stood, finishing his drink with one gulp.

"It's time for me to go too. I better try to find them, they might be getting into trouble." Axel's faith in his friends was clearly not too high. Riku laughed and pointed towards the stairs. They led up to an observation gallery that gave a very good view of the city.

"They're up there. Last I checked the bouncers were trying to politely shoo them out." Axel muttered a curse and started off purposefully to collect his drunk friends. Roxas watched him go, vaguely aware of Sora grinning and Riku's smirk. He couldn't find it in him to care though, not while Axel was walking up the stairs with his jeans clinging to him so temptingly.

The redhead might be straight, but he could still watch.

* * *

Roxas whistled to himself as he cleaned up the condiment trays at the Java Hut. It had been several days and he hadn't seen Axel again, or maybe he'd just missed him in the hectic frenzy of drink providing. They were always insanely busy in the mornings and nearly as bad at lunch. Right now, though, they were in the nice lull between morning and lunch so Roxas had time to get clean up the store. Which was good since his fellow barista was busy cleaning all the dishes and the front looked like a bomb had hit it. A perfectly normal day really.

"Hi there." Roxas nearly jumped out of his skin at that soft voice. "How are you doing Roxy?"

"Roxas!" He snapped, turned around. He hated Sora's pet nickname for him. Then he blinked and managed a smile. "Oh, Axel! Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you." He quickly apologized. The redhead looked a bit taken aback, then laughed.

"I shouldn't have called you that, sorry." He leaned against the counter, smiling and Roxas had to swallow. The man was just so damn sexy without even trying. Even now, when he was wearing black slacks and a tattered blazer, hiding the incriminating red shirt that was part of his uniform. "I was wondering if you were still interested in an offer?" Axel's eyes slid to the back of the store and Roxas followed his gaze, spotting his fellow barista peeking out curiously. "We could discuss it over supper."

"Ah, right." Roxas was suddenly thankful for Axel's tact. If he said no he didn't want rumors flying around that he'd been looking for another job. There would still be rumors flying of course but they'd be about his love life. Roxas was okay with that. "I'd be glad to, if you're paying." He said sincerely. Axel was wonderful company and he would never say no to free food.

"Excellent! When does your shift end?" Axel asked and they quickly arranged to meet around seven outside Brinkley's. Roxas was smiling and whistling all through the rest of his shift and ignored the speculative glances his coworkers gave him. Let them think he was going on a romantic tryst. When he quit they would be surprised!

"Hey Roxas! Over here!" Roxas spotted Axel easily as he walked through the mall. The redhead was smoking a cigarette and ignoring the dirty looks some of the young mothers going into the store were giving him. Axel stubbed out the cig before walking towards him. "I thought we could go down the road to Rasta Pasta."

"Sounds good." Roxas said immediately. He knew the place Axel was talking about. It was a cheap Italian place where they ladled out huge helpings of rather good pasta. Nothing fancy and he could have made most of it at home, but it would be perfect for a casual meeting. "Are you going to try to earn the pen?" He asked. Rasta's had a plastic pen they gave out to anyone who actually managed to finish their food. Axel grinned.

"I'll get one! You'll see." He said confidently and Roxas eyed him sceptically as they walked to the restaurant. He figured it out, though, as soon as Axel placed his order.

"Oh that's cheating!" Roxas complained as he slapped down his laminated menu card onto the plastic tablecloth. The little salt and pepper shakers, in the shape of brightly painted cows, tinkled together. Axel just laughed.

"Hey, I want a pen! I'm always running out." Axel said merrily and Roxas sighed, shaking his head at his perfidy. The redhead had ordered the lasagna. The most expensive dish on the menu it was also the smallest and easiest to get through. Roxas had ordered the spaghetti putanesca and he was sure -

_Thump. _Roxas stared helplessly at his huge mound of spaghetti, surmounted by a good bit of parmesan shavings. Axel, meanwhile, had a very nice little pan full of lasagna and was digging right in. Giving up any hope of getting his own pen, Roxas started to eat. If Axel was paying he should make the most of it. Although given the amount of food he'd probably still be making the most of it the next day.

"So!" Axel said after he'd taken the edge off his hunger, setting an elbow down on the table and leaning forward a bit. Roxas found himself caught by the redhead's intensity. "I've been thinking about what kind of positions we have open at Brinkley's. I know you're good at handling a cash register. Are you any good at gift wrapping?"

"Hm?" Roxas swallowed his mouthful of pasta hastily before responding. "Oh yes. My parents let me wrap all the gifts for my sisters. But isn't that just seasonal?" Christmas was coming up but Roxas did not want to get stuck doing something seasonal. Axel shook his head.

"No, we offer that service year round. Although there's a greater demand in winter." Then the redhead made a face. "We're short two sales staff and one cashier at the moment, as well as needing a lot more people for the Christmas rush. I just want to put you on something you'll like, at least a bit. I don't need more turnover." Roxas thought hard about that a moment.

"Why are people leaving so much? If you don't mind me asking." He asked cautiously. Axel shrugged, forking up another piece of lasagna.

"Just general stuff. I had to fire the cashier for giving discounts to a friend. One of the sales people decided to move in with his long distance girlfriend, so he's going to be two states away. The other guy has taken a management spot over at KFC and we're all wishing him luck." That made Roxas relax a bit. "Do you have any experience with photography?"

After a quick run-through of all the options they settled on sales staff as probably the best spot for him. Roxas was really rather interested in the work. He would be helping people all day, all through the store. And if the gift wrapping station got short he'd be able to help out there too. Roxas had no problem with standing on his feet all day and it sounded quite interesting. But he did enjoy his job as a barista. Roxas paused a moment, thinking about it as Axel slurped his coke. Did he really want to do this?

It was actually his manager at the Java Hut who decided him. In many ways she was a good manager. She always made sure the supplies got in on time and in full. She would stand behind them with irate customers and didn't take much crap. But she also liked to play favorites with the schedule and promotions. Roxas vividly remembered how he'd been passed over for shift lead in favour of one of the girls she chatted with all the time. It had been monumentally unfair. He was without a doubt the best java slinger the place had ever had.

"Alright, I'll do it. Where's that paperwork you mentioned?" Roxas said firmly and Axel grinned, pulling out the papers from his tote bag. Roxas quickly filled them out, pulling out his wallet to find his ID and copying the numbers. Briefly he wondered why Axel seemed to want him working at Brinkley's so badly. Surely there were lots of applicants in this economy? Then he dismissed the thought. There might be applicants but how many were actually any good? Axel knew he was a good worker. "I'll need to give the Java Hut two weeks notice." Roxas ruefully reflected that his manager would no doubt cut him out of the schedule as soon as he told her, but he couldn't count on that. He'd learned a lot from his very first job and the formalities of quitting had been part of it. Axel just nodded, taking the papers and put them away.

"That's just fine. Say, would you like some dessert?" Roxas groaned theatrically, looking helplessly at his half-eaten pasta. Axel grinned, amused. "Or would you just like to try some of mine?"

"I might at that." Roxas said, waving the waitress over to put his food into a doggy bag. There was no way he'd be finishing it. Axel ordered a tiramisu and coffee for them both. The dessert arrived with two spoons and Roxas licked the heavy cream off his spoon, deeply enjoying it. When the waitress delivered the bill Axel glanced at it and pulled out his credit card. "Here, let me pay you my bit." Roxas began rooting through his wallet for a bit of cash but Axel shook his head.

"I can handle it! Really, it's not a problem." Axel said with a smile and Roxas hesitated a moment before putting his wallet away. Axel was the store manager, he had to make quite a bit more than a cashier. "I take the whole staff out for a meeting and dinner once a quarter."

"What! Really?" Roxas was a bit stunned by that. The Java Hut had a Christmas party but that usually involved going to a local bar and everyone paid their own way. "You pay for it?"

"On my own dime." Axel sounded rather proud of it and Roxas couldn't fault him for that. "Of course, it helps that I'm single and living with my parents." That lost brownie points and Roxas winced a little. He was living at home too, but he was going to school. "But I pay rent." Axel added and Roxas hoped he hadn't caught his reaction. "So does my roommate. The house is pretty big."

"Oh." It sounded like the redhead's parents were renting out plenty of rooms. Roxas suddenly wondered why he cared and why Axel cared that he cared, if that made any sense. It wasn't like the redhead needed to impress him anymore! Did he? "Well, I live at home too but I don't pay any rent. Everything I'm making goes to books and incidentals. The books are so damned expensive." The waitress came and took the card, quickly bringing back the slip and card. Axel glanced it over, added a tip and his signature. Soon they were walking back to the mall and Roxas frowned a bit as he realized how late it was.

"Where do you live? I could give you a drive home." Axel offered and Roxas hesitated.

"Where do you live?" He asked and Axel named a very nice suburb. "Oh, that's perfect! I live in Lagarda." That was between the mall and Axel's home. "Please, I would love a ride." The blonde said sincerely. A car ride would shave a good hour off his trip home, especially this time of night. The busses were erratic at best. Axel laughed and led him to a bright red car. "Is that a Porsche?" Roxas asked, very uncertain. It looked like a Porsche but it was rather old fashioned. Axel nodded as he fished out his keys.

"It is, but it's a 1985 model. My parents passed it on to me when I started driving. It's not really worth much but it runs well enough." Roxas slid into the seats and smiled as he saw they were real leather. Old or not, this was a very nice car. "They got themselves a brand new Porsche." Axel didn't seem very happy about it though and Roxas tilted his head, wondering why. He couldn't think of a tactful way to ask though and just let it pass. Maybe Axel had wanted a brand new car rather than a hand me down. Although that didn't seem right…

"So your parents rent out rooms?" He said instead and soon got a colourful rundown of the inhabitants of Axel's home cum boarding house. He quickly found out that six people were renting rooms, counting Demyx. They were all either gay or lesbian and Axel's mother was highly in favour of the arrangement since they were all neat and tidy if a bit unrestrained at times. The house itself sounded like a mansion but from a few things Axel let drop, Roxas got the feeling they hadn't been renting out so many rooms until recently. What had happened? Had Demyx's friends needed a place quickly or had Axel's family needed the money? That seemed a bit bizarre to Roxas. They bought brand new Porsche's, how could they need to rent rooms for money? But things were hard for everyone these days.

"Here we are." Axel said as he pulled up in front of Roxas' house. It was easy to spot, with the plastic flamingos on the lawn. Roxas pried himself out of the leather seat, exiting the car. He held onto the door for a moment and met Axel's eyes, smiling.

"Thank you very much." He said sincerely and Axel smiled back. It was so dazzling. Why did he have to be straight?

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow." The redhead replied and Roxas shut the door, watching him drive away. He was sure he'd see Axel tomorrow at the Java Hut, getting his caffeine fix, and he was looking forward to it. Maybe too much? The blonde considered it a moment then decided he didn't care.

Axel was just too interesting.


	2. Double Date?

Roxas quickly and carefully wrapped the large package, holding the ribbon in place and sliding it beneath. Soon he had it tied and was using the scissors to curl up the ribbons as the middle aged man who had bought it waited paitently. A big bow in the centre and he handed it off with a smile.

"You're very fast. Thank you, it looks beautiful." He said with a smile. "My wife will love it."

"I bet she'll love the fax machine more!" Roxas joked and the man laughed before departing the store. Roxas smiled and looked towards the next person in line. She was carrying a tiny jewel box and pointed to a particular type of wrapping paper.

"That one please?" Roxas nodded and snipped off a piece for her, wrapping the gift. It was a very good choice, silver with a tiny golden star pattern. Anything bigger would have been unrecognizable on the tiny box. "With silver and gold ribbons?"

"Of course!" Roxas smiled and set to work on making a frilly spill of ribbon. He was remembering how much he'd enjoyed gift wrapping as a child and so far, his happiness seemed to be infectious. Or maybe the customers were just in a good mood. No one had gone off on him yet for being too slow but it was probably only a matter of time. "Here you go."

"Thank you." The girl moved out of the way a bit but stayed close. Roxas noticed she was rather pretty, with long blonde hair and soft blue eyes. "I'm Namine. What's your name?"

"Um? Oh, I'm Roxas." He answered absently as he began working on his next present. He had a feeling she was flirting with him but he was far too busy to even think about it. He actually did find girls attractive at times and Namine was rather his type but he wasn't interested. Although there was something about her that was naggingly familiar. "Have I seen you at the Uni?" That seemed likely, she was the right age to be taking classes. Namine nodded with a sweet smile.

"I'm taking art classes. I think you're in my English class." She watched him a moment longer before waving. "See you in class."

"See you." Roxas said, rather grateful that she was going. A crusty old lady in line was giving him the stink eye and he wouldn't have put it past her to complain that he was chatting up a pretty young thing. And he wasn't interested in Namine at all. His fantasies were focused on someone else entirely.

"Hi Roxas." Speaking of whom. Roxas looked up from his work with a smile as Axel slid in beside him, grabbing a piece of paper with a warm smile. "Need some help?"

"If you could?" Roxas glanced over the line, which was quite a lot longer now. He and the only other employee working the gift wrap were getting overwhelmed. Axel nodded and started wrapping. That was one of the many things Roxas truly admired about his new manager. Axel was more than willing to pitch in if they were getting slammed.

Axel was possibly the best manager he'd ever had. The redhead was always willing to stick up for his employees and work with them as long as they worked with him. He was good at soothing customers and knew how to do almost any job in the store. And while he was good to the staff, he wasn't too lenient. He was willing to fire someone if they needed it. All in all, it was almost perfect.

"Damn." Axel suddenly stopped to rub a finger against his shirt. Roxas blinked at him, startled. "Papercut."

"Oh, those stink." Roxas sympathized, manfully suppressing his first thought which was 'let me kiss it and make it better.' You just couldn't say that to your manager at work. Maybe after work over a few drinks… maybe. "Does it look like you'll survive?" Roxas asked banteringly and Axel laughed.

"I think I'll make it!" Axel shook his hand and finished his wrapping, handing a young girl a bright red gift with big green trees on the paper. "So Roxas, are you doing anything tonight?" Axel asked casually then smiled winningly at the next person in line. "What paper would you like?" He had already been looking them over and picked out one with a Dicken's style scene instantly. Axel started wrapping as Roxas thought for a moment, his own hands working on a gift. He really did have things to do, like studying and working on an essay. On the other hand, he was starting to feel a bit burned out. Maybe a night on the town would help.

"Not really. What did you have in mind?" He asked during a small lull in the action. Axel patted a ribbon down and looked over with a smile.

"My roommates are dying to meet you and we managed to get hold of some free tickets to Lilith's World. It's sort of a gothic horror production. Would you like to come along?" Roxas didn't have to think twice about that.

"Absolutely!" He said with a grin. "Who could pass up sexy vampires?" The lady in front of him laughed as he passed her her gift.

"Certainly not me!" She said merrily before going on her way. Roxas sighed as he realized the line was getting big again and Axel frowned.

"I need to go do the paperwork. Who can I pull to help out with this?" He muttered to himself and Roxas felt a bit bad for him. A Brinkley's manager was paid a good wage but they earned every penny. "Hm. Well, meet you out front after your shift?"

"Right." Roxas agreed as he dove into the work again. His shift didn't end until eight so Lilith's World had to be showing quite late. And Axel was planning to work late too, most likely. Roxas was reminded of why he never wanted to be a manager. But then, he was aiming to be a librarian someday. It probably wouldn't pay well but he did so love books.

The rest of the day passed extremely quickly. Roxas didn't have time to ruminate about what Axel inviting him out might mean, if anything, and why Axel's roommates would be dying to meet him. All he had time for was bright wrapping paper, ribbons and demanding customers. One young child ducked under his table and nearly caused an upset before her mother snagged her ankle. A baby threw up and the girl with him had to go fetch a mop for some emergency cleaning, which made the line even longer. A few people took a look at the line and decided it wasn't worth the effort. All in all, a typical day for Christmas retail. Roxas was tremendously relieved when his shift was done, going to the break room to quickly change into his normal clothes. He'd found that was the easiest way to avoid shoppers always wanting just that last bit of help.

"Axel?" He cautiously poked his head into the office and saw the redhead checking all the registers and logging the final take for the day. "Are you almost done?" He asked as the redhead concentrated on his work.

"Just about." Axel's tongue stuck out a little as he typed and Roxas had to smile, watching him. Axel was so handsome when he was working hard, which was almost all the time. "Done!" Axel straightened with a sigh and quickly put the paperwork away. "That will do it. Charmaine can handle the rest." Roxas nodded. That was the assistant manager and she was quite good. "Zexion and Demyx should be here any - oh." Axel's cell phone had just gone off and Roxas laughed at the ringtone. It was the "YMCA" song. Axel shot him a sheepish grin before flicking open the phone. "Hi Demyx. Where are you guys?" Roxas smiled and went to the vending machine, snagging a bag of chips as Axel talked to his friends. "You don't really need that. There will be food at the show." Axel called over and Roxas shook his head. He was sure anything at the show would be very expensive. The redhead flipped his cell phone shut. "They're almost here. C'mon, let's go."

"Sure." Roxas said and followed Axel, looking for Zexion and Demyx curiously. He spotted Demyx immediately when the two of them pulled up in a hot little sports car. The blonde leaned out of the window, grinning widely.

"Axel! Oh wow, he's as cute as you said!" Axel turned an interesting color as Roxas choked. Demyx continued, oblivious. " Well get in honey cakes before - ow! Zexion slaps me." Demyx rubbed his head then yelped as his friend yanked him back into the car. Axel was muttering something almost inaudible but Roxas could catch a few swear words. The redhead glanced at him and forced a smile.

"Don't pay attention to him, he's a tool." Axel said casually as he opened the door to the car and Roxas laughed as he heard Demyx squawk. "After you."

"Thanks." Roxas slid into the car and frowned, brushing some candy wrappers out of the way. Then he blinked as his fingers found a pipe? "What's this?" He pulled it out, interested, and examined it. It looked like an antique cigarette holder. Demyx glanced back at them as Zexion put the car into gear.

"Oh that! That's Larxene's, give it here." Roxas handed it over, bemused. He'd never seen anyone actually use a cigarette holder outside of a black and white movie. "Thanks! So you're going to university?" Roxas nodded cautiously as Demyx smiled. "I thought I'd seen you around! You're taking music too?"

"Actually, I'm an English major." He didn't share any classes with Demyx, who was older and more advanced, but he'd heard of him. Everyone had heard of Demyx. "I've seen you around. You're a brown belt, right?" He asked more to keep the conversation rolling than any real interest. Demyx nodded.

"I am! Have you ever done martial arts?" Roxas found himself chatting with the blonde all the way to the theatre. Zexion just listened and when Roxas sneaked a glance at Axel he saw the redhead looked… unhappy? He was gazing out the window pensively. Axel revived when they reached the theatre though.

Roxas looked around, interested, as they walked into the building. He knew from reviews that the Crystal Theatre had once been a movie theatre, back when movies had been both expensive and high class. It was hard to imagine now, when most movie theatre's had the ambience of a pair of old sweat socks. This place, though, was a classic theatre done in a very rococo style. There was a lot of gilded wood carving in fanciful patterns and plush blue velvet. It probably would have looked tawdry and fake in a strong light, but under the warm, flattering lights of the theatre it was beautiful.

"I love this place." Axel said approvingly and Roxas nodded with a small smile. He wasn't sure he really agreed but it was nice. "It has so much history." Roxas' smile warmed as he thought about that. That, he could get behind. "There's a ghost you know."

"Really? What happened?" He asked, interested, as they handed in their tickets and queued up for snacks. It was more high class than typical movie fare and Roxas looked longingly at the macarons. They were made by a local bakery and he'd only had them once before. Hunting through his pockets he found his wallet. They were a dollar twenty-five a cookie - gah! - but maybe he could afford one. And he was really very hungry. Those chips were not enough and it had been a long time since his lunch break.

"Back when it was a movie theatre they had one of the stars from a black and white film come do an intro. He had a heart attack and died right on stage. Appalling timing… they say his ghost still comes on stage sometimes, trying to complete his speech." Axel glanced around thoughtfully. "If I were going to pick a place to haunt this would be it. Hm, would you like something for supper? Some shrimp rolls?" Roxas blinked, following Axel's pointing finger to the Vietnamese style shrimp rolls. They did look nice and they came with a peanut dipping sauce. "We could share them, along with some baby burgers." It suddenly occurred to Roxas that Axel hadn't eaten either and the blonde thought he'd skipped his lunch break. The redhead was probably starving.

"I can't really afford it." Roxas admitted. The baby burgers in particular were overpriced, although they did look very tasty. Axel laughed, clapping his shoulder with one hand.

"Don't worry about that! The tickets were free. I can spring for the food. Besides, I'm hungry." Axel said, confirming Roxas' suspicions. "Hmm, do you like blue cheese?" Roxas glanced over the burger menu and saw all kinds of high class options. Blue cheese and sirloin, mushroom and cheese, feta and… what?

"There's a foie gras baby burger? Are they serious?" Roxas said in disbelief. Axel grinned and Roxas felt a bit of alarm as he realized the price was twice that of a normal one.

"They sure are! Although we're not getting that." Axel said firmly, to his relief. "The price is bad enough but I think putting foie gras on a bun is sacrilege. Blue cheese sound okay?"

"Sure." Roxas decided to just go with it. They were almost at the counter and he liked blue cheese well enough. Axel placed the order quickly and Roxas added his order for the macaron, paying for it himself. He really wasn't too happy about Axel treating him. They weren't on a date. Were they? Roxas smiled to himself as he thought about it. Maybe they were, after a fashion, although it was a group date with -

"Hey!" Roxas almost jumped out of his skin at the voice in his ear. Axel was muttering a few swear words again and Roxas was sure the redhead had been caught equally off guard by a smiling Demyx. "You guys are waiting for your food? Can you get ours too while we go grab the seats?"

"Sure. What's your number?" Demy handed off the small piece of paper and immediately headed off. Roxas glanced over the order and couldn't help but laugh at the amount of sweets the mullet haired man had ordered. Axel shot him a curious look and Roxas shrugged.

"Just imagining what he'd be like if he ate all that." He explained, pointing at the order. Axel blinked then laughed, glancing over the sheet.

"Yes, it does look like a prescription for insulin shock, doesn't it? It doesn't seem to affect him at all though. He's always the same." The way Axel said it made it clear that he didn't really like it. Roxas couldn't blame him.

"A little of Demyx goes a long way." Roxas said then smiled as Axel laughed again. The redhead had a wonderful laugh, smooth and clear. He really liked hearing it.

"It does indeed!" Their food arrived quickly and Axel picked up a tray as Roxas got the second. The blonde briefly wondered how they would eat it during the show but that was quickly solved when he saw the theatre itself. It was an auditorium, but instead of just seats there was a 'table' area in front of the seats meant to hold the food. Roxas frowned as he realized that cut down the seating by a lot. But then, when this place had been built movies had been just as expensive as going to see the ballet. It made him wonder how much the tickets to a show here usually cost. At least a hundred dollars was his guess.

The show itself was excellent. Full of handsome vampires and beautiful young women, the special effects were really spectacular. Roxas loved the smoke screen and the shadow play that actually made it look like the protagonist had turned into a bat. It wasn't really scary but it was very interesting and he found himself absorbed in the story. The food was very good too but Roxas enjoyed the macaron more than anything else on his tray. He made a mental note to himself to make time to visit that bakery someday. They really were the best cookies in the city.

"So what shall we do now?" Roxas blinked at Demyx as they left the theater. The mullet haired musician was in high spirits. Zexion seemed to take it in stride, glancing around thoughtfully.

"We could go to the bar." The quieter of the pair suggested and Roxas sighed to himself. He was very tired and didn't need this. Axel shook his head.

"The two of you can but Roxas has classes and I have work tomorrow." He said firmly and Roxas nodded, feeling grateful. Demyx pouted and looked ready to argue before Zexion gripped his arm.

"Leave it Dem. Most people get up before noon." He said firmly and Roxas blinked as he realized that was almost the first words he'd heard Zexion say. He silently resolved to ask Axel about it. He'd learned a ton about Demyx but almost nothing about the purple haired young man. Demyx gave it with ill grace. "Do you two need a ride home?"

"We can take a cab." Axel said with a smile. "I wouldn't want to cut into your drinking time." Zexion smiled briefly as Demyx laughed, his good cheer coming back instantly.

"How thoughtful of you! See you later Axel, and you too Roxie!" Roxas grimaced at that and neatly evaded a pat on the back. He really did hate that nickname.

"Roxas!" He said sharply but Demyx and Zexion were already walking away. "Are they a couple?" He wondered aloud. They seemed absolutely nothing alike but opposites attract was a cliché for a reason. Axel shrugged.

"Sort of. But 'faithful' isn't in Dem's vocabulary. Zexion doesn't seem to mind." From Axel's tone, though, he didn't think much of the situation. Roxas thought about it a moment and decided he really didn't either. He had a bit of a jealous streak and didn't think he'd be able to tolerate an open relationship. Axel pulled out his phone, flipping it open and placing a call. Roxas admired him for a moment as he talked with the operator at the cab company. His brilliant red hair was catching the street lights, making it look like gilded copper. Then Axel hung up, turning back to him. "They're on their way." Roxas roused from his reverie, blushing faintly as he realized he'd been staring.

"Great." Roxas ventured a tentative smile. "Thanks for inviting me out Axel." He really did appreciate it and he wondered if, well, Axel was craving a six-pack. It had sort of been a date. Right? The redhead shrugged with a smile.

"It was nothing. You've been doing great work." Roxas frowned faintly, hoping that wasn't the only reason he'd been invited. Axel continued, oblivious. "And we had four tickets. Needed someone to take the last one!"

"Oh." Roxas reflected ruefully on his own thoughts as they waited for the cab. Axel still seemed to be - then he blinked as the redhead touched his shoulder. It wasn't as intimate as a handclasp or an arm around the waist, but it felt too intimate for someone completely uninterested. Or was he imagining things?

"I think that's our cab." Axel said softly, flicking his head towards a yellow car pulling up. Roxas drew a deep breath, nodding.

"Right." Roxas wasn't sure whether or not he was imagining things but now wasn't really the time to think about it. He needed to get home and work on his essays.

Work and school always came before romance.


	3. Mirror Mirror

"Hey, you be careful today."

"Huh?" Roxas looked up from his soda with a frown. It was one of the other employees at Brinkley's, an older man with short cropped brown hair beginning to go grey. Roxas remembered that his name was Kevin and he'd lost his job when the used car dealership he'd worked for went under. This was a temporary job for him although he'd been here for over six months. "Why?" Roxas ate a few chips. He was on a fifteen minute break and needed to make the most of it. Kevin grimaced as he grabbed his lunch bag out of the fridge.

"The District Manager is here." He said shortly and Roxas blinked. He hadn't seen anyone higher in the company than Axel so far. "He's a stickler for details. Make sure you try to push the gift cards and store credit cards."

"Ugh." Roxas muttered to himself. He was working cash today and that involved asking everyone if they wanted the credit cards. The problem was, that was a stupid thing to do when it was busy. The customers hated it and it was even worse if someone said yes, because it always took a while to fill out the application and process it. Axel let them use their own judgement on when to offer it.

"You really have to." There was a warning note in Kevin's voice as he started eating his sandwich. "The DM doesn't like Axel much. He'll be out to ding us." Roxas wondered what the problem was between Axel and the District Manager. Maybe he'd ask the redhead later.

When he got back out to the cash registers, Roxas was careful to ask everyone about the store credit card despite the delay and irritation. It turned out to be wasted effort though. Kevin was right about the District Manager being there but hadn't mentioned the other man with him, probably because he couldn't recognize him. Roxas watched the three of them from the corner of his eye as he worked and noticed some interesting body language. The DM was obviously deferring to the stranger, but Axel seemed more familiar. He wasn't able to spot anything more as the customers kept coming but it made him wonder. Who was that man?

"Hey Axel?" Roxas managed to corner Axel after his shift. He was working only four hours, due to studying for final exams. Axel looked up from his blackberry and Roxas wondered if he was texting someone. "Who was that guy here today? The one with the DM?" He clarified as Axel frowned.

"Oh, him! That was Richard. He's the VP and my uncle." Roxas stared, abruptly reminded of how plugged in Axel was with the company. No wonder the DM didn't like him! "He was just asking if I minded staying at the store for the future. Things aren't going that well for Brinkley's and this store is one of the top sellers." Axel smiled. "I told him I don't mind a bit. I want to keep doing my part."

"Oh, I see." Roxas could see why they wouldn't want to move Axel. He'd probably be very useful at the HQ but in tough economic times, that was a place where they could cut back. "What's that box?" There was a box in Axel's office and it didn't look like any of the normal stock. Axel glanced at it with a frown.

"Oh, that's a flat screen TV. I won it for the store being the top seller this quarter." Axel shrugged. "I don't need it so I'm going to have it mounted in the staff room. The repair guys in electronics are going to take care of it." Roxas smiled at the thought. It would be very nice to watch on breaks. Right now all they had was a tiny TV meant to be used for training videos, with bunny ears to pick up a few stations. "That reminds me, I'll have to call the cable company and get it all set up." Axel mused to himself. "I wonder if the budget would cover that. Probably not. Oh well, I can pay for it myself."

"Really?" Roxas felt a bit stunned. Axel was open handed to a fault sometimes… he could have sold the TV on eBay, for one thing. But the employees had helped earn it so keeping it in the store made sense. But he was going to get them cable on his own dime? Axel flashed him a quick grin.

"Hey, I want to watch the food network while I do my paperwork!" Axel said with a laugh. "Say, Roxas, what are you doing this weekend? Aside from working?"

"Um? Not a lot. Did you have something in mind?" Roxas asked curiously. Axel leaned against the wall with a smile, looking incredibly hot even in the Brinkley's store uniform. He had to remind himself that the man was straight.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come to the Club again on Friday night." Axel said easily and Roxas smiled, pleased. That was the nightclub he'd met Axel at, and while he didn't really love it, it was absolutely perfect.

"Absolutely. I was going anyway with my brother. Are your friends coming?" Roxas asked and Axel nodded. "Are you the designated driver again?"

"No, thank god. I'm taking a cab." Axel explained. "The whole house is coming and not everyone could fit in the car, which suits me fine. I want to have a real party for once."

"No more frilly drinks?" Roxas asked teasingly as he fetched his backpack, pulling out his windbreaker and sunglasses. Axel laughed.

"Maybe, but if I do I'll buy one for you." Axel teased him right back and Roxas made a face, shaking his head.

"I'm gay, not a girl." He said firmly and Axel laughed. "Well, bi technically." He amended, thinking of Namine. He'd seem her around the campus a few times and she was nice. Maybe he really should look her up. His mother would be a lot happier if he settled with a girl… but his thoughts kept going back to the unattainable. Unless it was. Roxas shook the thought away. If Axel was interested he'd make it clear. All the blonde could do was wait.

The week passed far too slowly, with plenty of schoolwork and a bit of regular work at the store. Roxas got to help out in the shoe department and found that helping people to put on shoes was a little nauseating. He'd never encountered that much foot odor in his life. Possibly more annoying was the shoe clearance section. The shoes were held together with little plastic ties but that didn't stop people from breaking the ties so they could try on both shoes at once, rather than one at a time. Sorting through them at the end of the day and applying new ties was always time consuming, especially when you added in the three or so shoes that didn't have matches.

"What do people do with them?" Axel asked in frustration after being informed that they now had five left shoes. Roxas shrugged helplessly.

"Someone has extremely deformed feet?" He suggested and Axel blinked, then laughed, his good humor returning.

"They must! Well, put those in the back for now, maybe they just stashed the others somewhere else." Roxas nodded and tossed the left shoes into the 'maybe we can fix it' bin. Most likely everything in there would get damaged out but sometimes they did find a match. The other big things in the bin were gloves and socks. "You done cleaning your section?"

"Yep." Roxas smiled at thought. The store had closed fifteen minutes ago so his section would actually be clean. During the day, nothing stayed clean for long. "I'm all done. Are you?" It was late and he was anxious to get to the bar. Riku had promised them a round of free drinks. Roxas desperately wanted some peach schnapps. He wasn't sure why, but that was what he wanted.

The cab was waiting for them when they stepped outside. Axel opened the door for Roxas, who blushed faintly before taking his seat. He thought about reminding Axel he wasn't a girl, then decided to drop it. Axel was just being a gentleman. The club was as pretentious as ever but Roxas was looking forward to the tapas when something obnoxious slapped him on the back.

"Roxas!" Demyx. Roxas hid a wince and forced a smile as the mullet haired young man grinned at him. "Let me buy you a drink."

"I'd rather you bought me a bit of food first." Roxas replied. He knew if he drank before he ate, he'd get drunk far too quickly. Demyx laughed, amused by the cheekiness of the request. Roxas had thought he would be.

"Of course, of course! How about some edamame beans?" Roxas felt completely lost but just let Demyx place the order. It was mostly upscale sushi and sashimi, of which he was completely ignorant. "Ew, Roxas, don't dunk it in the soy sauce like that."

"Why?" Roxas countered and was pleased to see Demyx fumble a bit. He did lighten the sauce though, that had been a bit too much. "I like it like this." Axel chuckled and Roxas glanced over at him, catching the amusement in his bright green eyes.

"You're such a philistine." Axel's voice was a warm purr that made things stir that had no business stirring. Roxas blushed faintly and went back to his food, looking up as one of the waitresses brought their drinks over. Instead of peach schnapps it was saki, but he didn't mind. After a few cups of the potent rice liquor he wasn't minding much of anything. He didn't even mind when Demyx asked him to dance and they ended up touching far more than they should. Roxas was vaguely aware of a nagging guilt as he let the sandy haired man feel him up. He didn't even _like_ Demyx that much and he'd always made it a policy not to sleep around. But it had been so long and felt so good. What was the harm?

Just as he was thinking that, Roxas happened to catch Axel's reflection in one of the mirrors on the walls. The redhead was watching them and he looked _pissed._ Roxas swallowed, meeting Axel's eyes in the mirror. The moment seemed to stretch out endlessly before Axel suddenly turned away.

"No." Roxas stumbled away, ignoring Demyx's protests as he tried to find the redhead. Axel was walking swiftly through the crowd and all Roxas was sure of was that he couldn't let him get away. He needed to talk to him, needed to do something even if he wasn't sure what. "Axel!" Roxas managed to grab his arm as the redhead was about to step out of the bar. Axel turned to look at him, cold displeasure on his face. "S-Stop!" Roxas hiccupped and Axel's expression lightened a hair, an unwilling smile tugging at his lips. "Where you g-going?"

"Just somewhere else." To Roxas' relief Axel still sounded sober. He wasn't though, the blonde could smell the saki and other drinks on him. "I thought I would take a walk, clear my head." Axel said carefully and Roxas shook his head.

"Then I'm coming too." He said determinedly. Axel looked ready to protest then seemed to think better of it, shrugging and starting out of the bar. Roxas followed him, watching the way he moved and noticing how nice his ass looked in the tight blue jeans he was wearing. Axel was just so damn hot. They walked slowly down the road and Roxas began to feel a bit more in control as the cold air hit him. Why had he followed Axel again? Oh right.

"You were watching me." He murmured softly, seeing Axel stiffen a bit. "You looked angry. Why?"

"…I thought you had better taste." Axel said, his voice a low growl. "Demyx? He's the town bicycle." Roxas almost giggled at the expression, although it was true enough. Demyx was not known for being faithful to anyone. Still.

"Is that all? Worried he'd break my heart?" Roxas drew out the last word and saw Axel flush, even in the dark. He reached out and gripped the redhead's arm, tugging him around. "Or did you want it to be someone else?" He murmured, staring up into that flushed and handsome face. He suddenly felt himself pushed against a wall, a hand cupping his face as Axel's face came closer. Roxas could smell alcohol and mint on his breath. Mint? Where had that come from? Roxas was still musing on the question when warm lips met his.

_Oh yes. _Roxas could taste the alcohol now, and beneath it the warmer taste he just defined as _Axel._ The kiss was good, warm lips and just a bit of tongue, tender but so needy. Roxas moaned, sliding his hands through bright red hair and deepening the kiss, greedy for more. Axel finally pulled back, breathing heavily and Roxas could see the lust in his eyes.

"Craving a six pack, huh?" Roxas giggled drunkenly then winced. "Ow!" Axel had slapped him lightly on the back of his head.

"Hush, you drunken idiot." Axel's tone was good humoured. "We'll have to get a hotel room. There's some pretty good ones near here." He mused and Roxas frowned, not understanding.

"Why? Why can't we go to your place?" He asked almost petulantly. Axel chuckled softly, taking his hand and leading him off.

"Because I live at home, remember? Is this how you really want to meet my parents? Drunk as hell and about to get laid?" Axel's voice held laughter and Roxas shuddered faintly at the image. He wouldn't want his own parents to see him like this, let alone complete strangers.

"Oh, okay. Hotel room. That would be great." He wasn't worried about his parents wondering where he was. They were used to him being out late on Fridays. Roxas started looking around for something cheap but there wasn't a lot of selection in walking distance. Just the Marriott - "Hey, that's too expensive." Roxas tried to pull away as Axel headed towards the hotel, but the redhead just laughed.

"Expense, shpense. Mom's kinda right, you should spend on what you care about." Roxas felt a flutter in his chest at that but didn't have time to ask as they stumbled up to the front counter. The lady at the desk looked less than thrilled, probably due to the haze of alcohol in the air. But Axel sounded sober and soon they had a room key. "There's a whirlpool tub too. We can play with that tomorrow."

"Might drown tonight." Roxas giggled at the thought then yelped softly as Axel pinned him against the wall of the elevator, nuzzling his throat. Clothing rubbed against clothing with a soft rasping sound and Roxas groaned as Axel's fingers slid over something sensitive. The redhead seemed to know what he was doing, which was kind of strange. But then, he'd probably seen it often enough with Demyx around. "Hey, this is our floor." Roxas managed to say as the elevator opened. Axel muttered a soft complaint but pulled away, starting out. It took them a few tries but they finally found their room and got the door open. Roxas had to resist the urge to giggle like a fool. He was way too drunk…

"Oooooh, that feels good." Axel was peeling off his clothing and Roxas stared, captivated by the slender, muscular body that was revealed. Axel looked even better than he'd imagined, and Roxas followed the line of red hair on his chest down to - "You're staring." Roxas blushed at the laughter in Axel's voice. "Come on, take it off Roxy, I want to see you." Axel's voice was a sultry purr and Roxas swallowed, reaching for the buttons on his shirt. He fumbled with them until warm, more steady hands appeared to help him. "You're so drunk, I almost feel bad for taking advantage of you."

"Oh bullocks. I've wanted you since the night I first saw you." Roxas replied, kicking his pants off. They were both naked now and he wanted Axel so _badly. _Suiting thought to deed, he gripped the redhead's shoulders and pulled him towards the bed. Axel went willingly enough but Roxas could see the worry in his eyes. "Hey, you have some lube?" Roxas suddenly asked, realizing he wasn't very prepared for this. Axel gave him a naughty grin before nodding.

"Yeah, right here." Axel showed him a small bottle. Roxas snorted as he read the label.

"Fruity booty anal lube? You totally stole that from Demy - oh!" Roxas moaned softly as Axel pressed him down into the sheets, exploring him with eager hands. Roxas returned the favor, his hands wandering over warm skin. Roxas licked his skin, tasting sweat and alcohol. It was good, sweet, what he absolutely wanted. Words ended at that point and they engaged in communication of another sort. Roxas whimpered softly as Axel began stretching him, fingers lubed and careful as they slid in and out, rubbing him and teasing… Axel was staring into his face, he suddenly realized. Looking for any sign of pain? Roxas arched and nuzzled him, wordlessly asking for more. He slid his fingers over Axel, gripping the redhead's erection and making him grunt in surprise. Had he expected Roxas to just lay back? Perhaps he had, but the blonde had other ideas.

It took a bit of fumbling, but he found the bottle of lube, abandoned on the end table. Quickly coating his fingers, Roxas began to stroke Axel, guiding him so their cocks were rubbing together, the lubricant warming with the contact and making everything smooth and easy. Axel's fingers and the feel of their cocks together was almost perfect, although he really wanted something more… Axel's lips found his and he could taste the mint again, stronger this time and oh so sweet. Then the redhead's erection slipped out of his fingers, sliding down a bit and - "Ah!" Roxas gasped softly as he felt Axel's throbbing flesh, slowly filling him. The redhead gave him time to adjust, to get used to it before he began to thrust. "Axel." Roxas let himself go, just feeling and reacting as they moved together.

"Roxas." Axel's voice was drenched with desire and it was the sexiest thing he had ever heard. "God, you're so - so tight in there, ahn!" Roxas almost giggled again but managed to hold it back.

"Don't watch Demyx's porn." He muttered, startling a laugh out of Axel. Then he gasped as the redhead changed his angle, getting in deeper and harder and making bolts of pleasure run through him.

"Try…. Not to…" Axel managed to say as his hand closed on Roxas' erection, stroking the sensitive flesh in time with every thrust. The blonde felt like he might fly apart at any moment and knew he was getting close. But he didn't want it to end. He didn't want to be the first and he tried to think about the least sexy thing in the world - _my dad in a man thong no that's just WRONG uh my my oh god _- Roxas couldn't hold back a small scream as Axel did something just _amazing_ and the whole world seemed to dissolve into sparks. Roxas was barely aware of the soft endearments being whispered in his ear, warm arms around him as Axel slowly pulled away. But he did know that he was being held and cherished. That was more than enough.

The blonde let himself drift away into sleep.

* * *

The next morning was a little awkward. Really, what did you say to the guy you had just screwed in a fit of drunken passion? Especially when that guy was also your manager? Roxas was lying in bed, wondering where Axel was and trying to think of an answer when the door opened.

"Roxas? You awake?" Roxas swallowed at the sound of Axel's voice, then swallowed again at the smell of food. Despite all the saki the previous night, he didn't have much of a hangover and he was very hungry.

"Uh, yes." The blonde pulled himself up, wincing faintly at the sting. Even with lube it had been rather a long time since he'd had passionate sex. Axel was looking rumpled, wearing his clothes from the previous day. "Wait, what time is it?" To his dismay he saw it was nearly eleven. "What time do we have to check out?" That was a huge concern, but Axel waved it away.

"Don't worry about it. I talked to the front desk and payed for another night so we can stay as long as we like." Roxas stared at him and Axel shrugged, a bit embarrassed. "We haven't had a chance to play with the hot tub."

"You're crazy." Roxas smiled as he said it, pulling himself out of bed and grabbing his pants as Axel set the food down on a small table. He looked it over and saw it was a rather traditional breakfast, scrambled eggs with toast and bacon. "Is that hash browns?" Roxas' mouth watered at the sight of the fried potato concoction. It looked good and smelled better. Axel nodded with a smile.

"It is. I'm guessing you don't have much of a hangover?" Roxas nodded as he began serving himself. Axel followed suit and soon they were both eating. "Well… um…" Axel seemed to be struggling to think of what to say. Roxas hesitated a moment before deciding to take the bull by the testicles.

"Axel, what are we to each other? And how is this going to affect our work?" Roxas asked bluntly. Axel swallowed a bit of orange juice before answering.

"Well, we're lovers. And I don't know about you, but I want to… explore that." Roxas felt a warmth in his chest at those words and the sincerity on Axel's face. The redhead really wanted him. His one nightmare had been that they might sleep together and Axel would be disgusted and horrified the next day. "As for work, I checked the employee handbook. Relations between employees are not forbidden as long as their reported to the DM and don't affect the quality of work."

"I bet they look askance on a manager dating his subordinate, though." Roxas pointed out and Axel hesitated before nodding. "I don't like the DM knowing about it either." He grumbled and Axel thought about it a moment.

"I could just report it to my uncle. The manual doesn't actually say the DM, just immediate superior." Axel mused thoughtfully. "Of course, if the DM finds out he'll hate me even more. Not that I really care about that." Roxas thought Axel was wise not to care. Nothing he could do would ever make the DM friendly anyway, and his contacts were more than enough to keep the man in line.

"That might be a good idea." Roxas smiled, watching Axel eat. The way his hands moved reminded him of the way they'd been on him the previous night. "We should definitely explore the hot tub before we leave." He murmured to himself. He was feeling greedy for more. Forking up a mouthful of hash browns, Roxas smiled to himself.

This was the start of something special. He could feel it.

* * *

Several weeks later.

"Hfff." Roxas groaned, rolling over as his phone went off. Blinking, he glanced at the clock. It was noon on Sunday. He'd gotten the day off. Normally he'd have preferred more hours but Axel had given him a few shorter shifts during the week, in the evenings after his classes. Yawning, he reached for the phone. Sleeping in or not, it was about time he got up anyway. "Hello?" Roxas held back another yawn as the person on the other end spoke.

_Roxas? _Roxas blinked at the sound of Axel's voice, his attention sharpening. The redhead sounded stressed and was there someone yelling in the background? _Would you mind if I came over?_

"Huh? Oh, uh." Roxas said, stunned by the request. It was bizarre. Yes, they were good friends now and… more… but Roxas lived with his parents. "Let me just check something." Roxas quickly pulled himself out of bed. "Mom? Dad?" There was no response. A quick check of the house revealed that they were gone, probably buying groceries. "No one's home but me so that should be fine. But why?" This was extremely odd.

_I'll tell you when I - damn! _There was the sound of something breaking and Roxas bit his lip. What could be going on? Surely this wasn't happening at the store. _I'll be there soon. Thanks Roxas. _The phone clicked off and Roxas hesitated, then realized he was in his pajamas.

"Oh damn!" Hurrying to the washroom he began to get washed and dressed. A quick look in the mirror showed he had a bad case of bed-head. He did not want Axel to see him like this. They were still at the young love stage and it just wasn't right. He was looking mostly presentable and feeling marginally human when the door finally rang. "Axel?" Roxas opened the door to see the redhead standing there. To his even greater surprise, he was carrying a backpack and from the look of it, it was stuffed full of clothing. Axel smiled but it was a tight, unhappy expression.

"Hi Roxas." Roxas ushered him in, curiosity eating him alive. What was going on? Axel glanced around, clearly not seeing much of the house and furnishings. His thoughts were far away. "I'm sorry to ask to come over like that. I just - I couldn't stay at home." Roxas stared at the redhead, seeing how pale his skin was and how bright his eyes were. Too bright. "My parents are getting a divorce."

"Oh god." Roxas winced at the bleak tone in Axel's voice. The redhead might be an adult, but he lived with them and his parents breaking up had to be hard. "What happened? Here, sit down and I'll make you a coffee." He quickly checked the pot and found, to his relief, that his parents had already made a pot. It was half empty and a bit old but that would just make it stronger. He quickly poured out a mug and handed it to Axel, who swigged the hot coffee without really tasting it.

"My dad's been having an affair with a nurse." Roxas blinked at that. "He's a surgeon, I don't know if I told you. And I - my mom - she's a compulsive shopper." Axel swallowed another mouthful of coffee before really looking at Roxas. "Dad says that's why he had the affair… because she just spends and spends and doesn't care. It's like a drug. She buys a new gucchi purse every week or a bracelet or something." Axel shook his head and Roxas frowned. It sounded like the redhead was making excuses for his father's infidelity. To Roxas, cheating was the one sin that could not be forgiven.

"That doesn't make cheating okay. Are you taking his side?" Roxas asked, his tone neutral. He was sure Axel's parents were asking him to take sides. The redhead suddenly laughed, a jagged, distressed sound.

"I didn't want to. But since she stole my entire savings account to go on a spending spree to make herself feel better, I guess I have to." Roxas' eyes widened at that.

"What? How did she do that?" He asked, stunned, and moved over to put an arm around Axel. The redhead sniffed and rubbed his face with one hand. When he spoke again his voice was wobbly and it sounded like he might cry.

"It was an old account, I set it up with my mom and dad when I was a minor. I never took their names off because I didn't think it would m-matter. She took the whole thing. It was over twenty thousand dollars." Axel's breath was going short and Roxas cuddled him, trying to give him a bit of comfort. Twenty thousand dollars, just gone? No wonder the redhead was spazzing out a bit. "I couldn't stay in the house. I would only have made things worse since I can't forgive either of them. Shit… but I can't get an apartment yet. I don't have a damage deposit now. I know it's asking a lot but can I crash here a while? I swear I'll pay you back when I have some money." Roxas could hear the strain in his voice. Axel clearly wasn't used to begging favors.

"I'll have to ask my parents but I don't think they'll say no." Roxas was actually sure they would say yes. His mother's sister was a compulsive shopper as well, although she did her shopping at the dollar store. But if you didn't have enough money to pay did it matter if you bought Prada or worthless little nicknacks? Roxas suspected it didn't. You were broke either way. "It'll be okay Axel. Payday is in only a week. You can stay until then." Axel's breathing seemed to even out a bit and he really looked at Roxas, green eyes meeting blue.

"Thanks Roxas." He said with a genuine smile and Roxas smiled, reaching out to gently take his hand. "I appreciate this."

"It's nothing." Roxas murmured, feeling warm and fluttery inside again. It actually felt really good to finally be returning all of Axel's kindness. He was sure everyone else at the store would feel the same way. Roxas frowned to himself, though, as he thought of the District Manager. Hopefully this falling out in Axel's family wouldn't affect his position at Brinkley's. Would it? Roxas shelved the thought. It was too early to know.

They would just have to wait and see.


End file.
